LIRR fare hikes kick in; MTA head defends nixing 20-Trip Ticket
Originally published in
Newsday
on
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The LIRR’s 200,000 daily passengers will pay more for their train ticket starting Sunday, while calls grow for the railroad to reconsider eliminating a popular ticket discount program.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s latest fare increase, which was approved last month, raises rates on the Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North, subways, and New York City buses. Because it accepts the Metro-Card, Nassau County’s transit system, known as NICE Bus, also is raising fares to match those of the MTA.
The move also has drawn outrage among both Republican- and Democratic-elected officials. In a letter to LIRR officials earlier this month, Sen. Kevin Thomas (D-Levittown) said the elimination of the 20-Trip Ticket, which was created last year to cater to part-time commuters, was “particularly concerning and harmful to the 14,000 riders who buy into the beneficial program every month.” Thomas urged the railroad to reconsider the decision.
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